Four years.
Precisely four years to the day since Tim Miller’s Deadpool movie smashed into theaters, and catapulted Ryan Reynolds into the limelight as Hollywood’s newly-appointed Merc With a Mouth.
Truth be told, the 2016 Deadpool film, itself an R-rated extravaganza, brought vindication for Reynolds, who had been attached to the role of Wade Wilson (AKA the Merc With a Mouth) for more than a decade. And yes, you read that right; Reynolds first began developing a standalone Deadpool movie back in 2004. It wasn’t until 2016 that has vision sprung to life on the big screen, aided by a coincidental leak which then became the spark that lit the fuse.
Somewhere within the vaults of 20th Century Fox lay a reel of test footage, one which featured Ryan Reynolds as the fast-talking mercenary. As luck would have it, said teaser leaked onto the interwebs, sparking a great deal of interest in Deadpool. And the rest is history.
Fast forward to the present day, and Deadpool has since gone on to become a household name. With two films under his belt, Ryan Reynolds’ comic book anti-hero can look forward to a bright and prosperous future – even after Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox.
How, exactly, Deadpool will be woven into the fabric of the MCU is a conundrum for Kevin Feige and his team at Marvel Studios, but on February 12th, let’s take a moment to remember the very first time Ryan Reynolds slipped into the shoes of Wade Wilson.
4 years ago, Deadpool hit theaters. Weirdly, the traditional 4 year anniversary gift is fruit so please send 🥑s our way. (And yes, 🥑 is a fruit. Weirdly.) pic.twitter.com/XQf207GJ6J
— Deadpool Movie (@deadpoolmovie) February 12, 2020
To quote T.J. Miller’s Weasel, you look like an avocado had sex with an older, more disgusting avocado. Yes, it’s no secret that Deadpool (2016) delivered its fair share of one-liners. And we can only hope that it won’t be too long before Ryan Reynolds is given another opportunity to squeeze into red spandex.